All About Rusty
As a post-9/11 combat veteran, I have experienced firsthand how fly fishing literally saved my life, and became an outlet and source of peace after my military experience. Since 2012, my work at the US Army Outdoor Recreation in Germany allowed me to express my gratitude by sharing this with active duty members all over Europe. I started fly tying lessons for PTSD groups at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in 2014 and taking soldiers out to do conservation work on local streams. I also got to introduce the sport to soldiers while being a facilitator for Wounded Warrior Project’s Odyssey program.
I wanted to take things further. My wife Elena and I came up with the idea of a fly fishing “boot camp” and founded in April, 2016 a new non-profit in Roseburg, Oregon, Source One Serenity. I started exploring backcountry of the North Umpqua, “little known” public waters within the Umpqua National Forest. I started introducing these magic places to vets and teaching them fly fishing. And now it’s time for me to share these places with you.